Just a day before the Delhi Assembly elections, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal has been booked over his claim that the Haryana government deliberately contaminated Yamuna water, police confirmed on Tuesday.
The case was registered at Shahabad Police Station in Kurukshetra, Haryana, following a court order. According to officials, Kejriwal has been charged under Sections 192, 196, 197, and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2024.
“The case has been registered after court directions. The investigation is underway, and further action will be taken based on evidence,” said Shahabad SHO Satish Kumar in a statement to media.
Political Battle Over Water Contamination Claims
The FIR has sparked a sharp political exchange, with Minister of State (MoS) Harsh Malhotra accusing Kejriwal of misleading voters. He claimed that Kejriwal was trying to shift focus from governance failures ahead of the elections.
“AAP and Arvind Kejriwal have no development to showcase from their 10-year rule. That’s why they never talk about it in their campaigns. They couldn’t even ensure clean drinking water for Delhi residents. Back in 2020, Kejriwal had said that if he failed to clean the Yamuna, people shouldn’t vote for him in 2025. Now, instead of taking responsibility, he is blaming the Haryana government. An FIR was necessary for such false statements,” Malhotra stated.
Kejriwal’s Allegations Against Haryana Govt
Kejriwal has accused the BJP-led Haryana government of deliberately poisoning the Yamuna water supplied to Delhi. He claimed this was an attempt to create a health crisis in the capital, for which the blame would fall on AAP.
In a letter to the Election Commission, Kejriwal alleged that the ammonia levels in Yamuna’s water had risen to dangerous levels, making it unfit for consumption. He cited data showing that ammonia levels surged from 3.2 ppm on January 15 to 7 ppm within days.
Haryana CM Counters Kejriwal’s Claims
Rejecting Kejriwal’s accusations, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini pointed fingers at the Delhi government’s mismanagement. He stated that ₹8,500 crore had been sanctioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a sewage treatment plant (STP) in Delhi, but AAP failed to implement the project.
To support his argument, CM Saini displayed two jars of Yamuna water—one collected from the Delhi-Haryana border (Palla Ghat) and the other from Wazirabad in Delhi. He emphasized that the water quality deteriorated only after reaching Delhi, implying that the pollution issue stemmed from within the capital.
Elections Amid Controversy
As Delhi prepares to vote on Wednesday, the escalating war of words between AAP and BJP has added political tension ahead of the polls. With vote counting scheduled for February 8, this controversy is expected to play a significant role in shaping the electoral narrative.
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